Sawmill set-works.



G. W. WILLETTE.

SAWMILL SET WORKS.

APPLICATION I'ILED 22x23, 1909.

1,073,310 Patented Sept 16, 19131 5 SHBETS-SHEET l.

2 7 anbntoz OOLUMBIA PWOOIAPH cm. WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. W. WILLETTE.

SAWMILL SET WORKS.

APPLICATION IILBD T11R23, 1909. I 1,073,310. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 60.,WA5H1NG10N. D. c.

o. w. WILLETTB. SAWMILL SET WORKS.

APPLIOAI'ION FILED FEB. 23, 1909;

Patented Sept. 16,1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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.0. W.WILLETTE.- SAWMILL SET WORKS.

v f APBLIOATIONIILED rnn.2s,1909. 11,073,310. P ented ept. 16,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Frie CHARLES WILLIAM VWELLETTE, OF TACOMA, WASTIINGTON.

SAWMILL SET-WORKS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Cinemas W. WIL- LETTE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sawmill Set-Works, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to saw mill set works and has for its objects to provide a power driven set works which shall be self contained, that is to say, allits mechanism is mounted on asingle bedplate; which will operate with great accuracy with logs of any size or weight on the carriage; which is unlimited in its scope as it will set the knees with absolute accuracy to cut any thickness from the lightest of lumber to the full travel of the knees; which automatically stops the knees at the right moment and holds them in position; which is universal in structure as it can be applied to carriages of any known make without any alteration except the ratio and direction of a pair of spiral gears and the reversal of position of some of the other gears, whether the carriage be a right-hand or left-hand carriage or whether the feed screws of the knees be right-hand or left-hand or the pitch thereof be varied; in which-allowance is made for any thickness of saw-kerf by a simple adjustment; and which is simple to operate,

strong and durable in construction and very powerful in its action. These and other objects I attain by the devices and mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved set works; Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof showing the set works mounted on a saw mill carriage; Fig. 1 is a horizontal section showing the driving mechanisms; Fig. 5 1s a partial plan of the thrust bearing showing a part thereof broken away to reveal the screw therein; Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section of the set-controlling and indicating mechanism; Fig. 8 is a plan of, the indicator or log dial; Fig. 9 is a plan of the setting disk and controller; Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the setting disk and its operating mechanism; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the controlling hand lever whereby the set works are started in motion; Fig. 12 1s a similar Specification of Letters Patent. Patented S t 16 1913 Application filed February 23, 1909.

Serial No. 479,312;

view of the automatic stopping and braking lever; Fig. 13 is a similar view of the brake operating mechanism; Fig. 14 is a rear view thereof on a larger scale; Fig. 15 is a plan thereof; Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the brake-operating casting; and Fig. 17 is a similar view of one of the collars adapted to engage and operate the said casting.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. This machine is mounted on a saw mill carriage 1 (Fig. 3) in such position that the set shaft 2 thereof passes through the bed plate 3 of the machine. The knees 4 of the carriage are operated by the rotation of the said set shaft 2 in the usual manner. The machine consists of several groups of mecha nisms working together to produce the desired actions, which mechanisms are briefly as follows: First, the driving mechanism illustrated particularly in Fig. 4 and consisting of the two power driven shafts in continuous rotation, an intermediate shaft adapted to be put into frictional connection with either of the driven shafts and in turn driving the set shaft, means for shifting the intermediate shaft longitudinally. to control the friction connection, and a brake applied to the intermediate shaft to hold it from rotation: second, the controlling and indicating mechanism (Figs. 7, 8 and 9) com prising mechanism indicating the position of the knees relatively to the saw line and mechanism which can be adjusted or set to take any desired position to control the amount that the knees shall be set forward at the next movement thereof; and, third, the mechanism for controlling the motion of the set shaft (Figs. 11 to 17) comprising hand controlled mechanism for starting the motion of the set shaft in one direction or the other, automatic mechanism operated by the adjustable mechanism mentioned in the above second group and automatically disconnecting the set shaft from the driving shafts and also applying the brake to the set shaft. I

In order to clearly explain the machine in detail and to trace its action from part to part in the several operations performed by it, we will begin the, description at the first group of mechanism. Thesheaves 5 and 6 are mounted on the ends of suitable shafts 7 and 8, respectively, which extend out from the bed plate 3 of the machine. The continuously moving driving cable 9 passes one half way around each sheave and causes .them both to revolve in the same direction.

On the inner end .of the shaft 7 is mounted the small beveled pinion 10 which meshes I with the large bevel gear 11 mounted 011 the plate 3. Both of these shafts 12 and 15 are provided at their outer ends with anti-friction end thrust bearings 16 which prevent any outward endwise motion. The conical friction disks 17 and 18 respectively are mounted on the inner ends of these shafts in the sleeve 25. v

mcunted on the cyllndrical body 26 to turn 12 and 15. Between the inner ends of the shafts 12 and 15 and coaxial therewith is mounted the shaft 19, on each end of which is mounted the friction cups 20 and 21 so spaced and disposed that they are adapted to engage the corresponding friction disks 17 and 18 and so that when one is in such engagement with its friction disk the other is slightly removed from its disk. A pinion 22 is mounted near the center of the shaft 19. so as to gear with the large gear 23 mounted on the set shaft 2 to turn it whenever one of the continuously rotating friction disks is in contact with its friction cup. The shaft 19 is mounted in one ordinary bearing 2 1 on the bed plate 3 and in a special endwise-adjustable thrust bearing. This bearing consists of a fixed sleeve 25 secured to the bed plate 3 and having a suitable screw thread cut therein, and an inner longitudinally movable bearing consisting of the cylindrical body 26, screw threaded on its outersurface to correspond with the thread A lever 27 is adjustably it through a small angle. Suitable antifriction ball bearings are mounted around the shaft at the ends of the inner bearing 26 to engage respectively against the hub of the friction cup 20 and the pinion 22. The

result, is that when the lever 27 is moved in the ball bearings then force the shaft 19 and the cups 20' and 21 axially thus con trolling the friction between the rotating disks 17 or 18 with their cups 20 or 21 respectively by the position of the-lever 27. The action of the bearing 26 screwing into the sleeve 25 is such that although great 1 force may be exerted between the friction hold the said friction partstogether.

As before stated, the shafts 7 and 8 rotate and 11 is different from that between the gears 13 and lhthe shafts 12 and 15 turn at different rates. is forced sot-hat the cup 20 engages the rotating disk 17 it makes the set shaft 2 turn so as to move the knees comparatively slowly forward or nearer the saw-line, but when the cup 21 engages the disk 18 the shaft is turned so as to draw the knees back quickly. The lever 27 is connected by a link 28 to the fork 29 mounted on the front rocking shaft 30. The hand lever 31 is secured to the other end of the front rocking shaft 30 so that the position of the lever 27, which controls the longitudinal position of the shaft 19, is cont-rolled by the hand lever 31.

A brake band 32 passes around the outer surface of the friction cup 20, said outer surface being cylindrical to form a brake drum for said brake band. The ends of the brake band 32 are secured at suitable points to the casting 33, loosely mounted on the rear rocking shaft .34. A-spring 35 presses upward on a projection 36 on the casting 33 to turn it on the shaft 34 so as to tighten the brakeband 32 on the drum 20. The casting 33 is provided with two'opposite teeth or lugs 37 on each side thereof, said teeth projecting therefrom parallel with the shaft.

011 each sideof the casting 33 is mounted a.

Hence when the shaft 19 collar 38 adjustably secured to therear rocking shaft 34, and each collar 38 is provided with two opposite teeth or lugs-39 corre' spending with the teeth 37 and'fitting loosely in the spaces 'therebetween' as do also the teeth 37 fit loosely in the spaces between the teeth 39. between the setsof teeth 37 and 39 to permit of the adjustment of the collars 38', so

Sufficient" space is allowed that the time of the release and tightening I stopped when the knees have reached the desired position. Another tooth or projection 40 is also formed on the casting 33, in the opposite direction to the project-ion 36, and a similar tooth or projection 41 is adjustably mountedon the front rocking shaft 30 in such manner that the tooth 41 will be below the tooth 40. The tooth 41 engages and raises the tooth 40 to release the brake band 32 when the hand lever 31 is pushed toward the saw-line so that the front rocking shaft 30 is turned to draw the'lever 27 toward it at which time the thrust bearing.

' 4114i, and gears 48 and 19, and that as the broken.

forces the cup 21 into contact with the fric- ,tion disk 18 thus turning the set shaft 2,

85 and the brake band 32 is tightened on the drum 20. The position of the tooth 41 on the shaft 30 may be adjusted to release the brake after the frictioncontact between the parts 18 and 21 is actually made, so as to apply the brake a moment before the friction contact between the said parts is if spiral gear 42 is mounted on the set shaft2 and gears with another spiral gear 13, mounted near the lower end of the vertical shaft 44, in such manner that the two shafts 2 and i f will rotate in exact accord without backlash the one with the other.

The shaft a4 is mounted in suitable bearings, the upper bearing being formed in an elevated head block 45 supported over the bed plate 3 by means of the two standards 16 and 4&7 secured thereto.

Referring nowjprincipally to Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, it will be observed that the shaft 14. passes completely through the said head block 45 and carries a small gear wheel 48 keyed to it. This gear -18 meshes with and drives a larger gear 19 mounted loosely on the portion of the standard 17 which projects above the head block 15. A disk 50 is secured to the upper side of the gear 49. This disk 50 is provided with a spiral groove 51 out into its surface and with certain radial markings and reference figures on its.

surface forming a log dial. A stationary arm 52 is adjustably mounted on an extension of the standard 17 and an index piece slides freely along said arm. This index piece 58 has an index finger 54 which enters said spiral slot 51. it is evident that as the set shaft 2 rotates the disk 50 will rotate, in exact proportion therewith, through the medium of the spiral gears 42 and 43, shaftsaid disk 50 rotates the index finger 54; will move along the arm on account of the spiral shape of said slot, hence the index finger 5 1 will always indicate the position of the knee-face from the saw-line if the "cut so that the working surface of each toothmakes an angleof about thirty degrees with the vertical radial plane while the back outer surface.

surface thereof makes an angle of about sixty degrees therewith. The boss 57 of the controlling hand wheel 58 is loosely mounted on the vertical shaft 44 above the toothed disk and has a screw thread 59 out in its A disk 60 is mounted on the boss 57, having a screw thread out therein into which the said thread 59 screws. A brake shoe 61, mounted on the standard 17, engages the disk 60 to prevent its turning readily with the hand wheel 58 and boss 57. A series of downwardly extending teeth 62 are formed on the lower side of the disk 60 corresponding in position and complementary in shape with the above described teeth 56 formed on the disk 55, so that when the disk 60 is lowered the teeth 62 will be engaged by the teeth 56 and the disk 60 will be rotated with the vertical shaft 44:. A pin 63 is secured in the lower surface of the hand wheel 58 in such radial position as to engage a lug 64: on the upper surface of the disk 60.

The action of the above parts is such. thatif the hand wheel 58 is turned in the direction of the hands of a clock the screw thread 59 raises the disk 60 because the said disk cannot rotate with the hand wheel 58 because the disk 55 is not rotating and the teeth thereof are meshing with the teeth on the disk 60 and also because the brake shoe 61 holds it from rotating. When, however, the hand wheel 58 has turned far enough for the pin 88 thereon to engage the lug 6 1 on the disk 60 the two parts 58 and 60 will turn together and the disk 60 will not be raised any higher but will turn with the hand wheel. Then when the hand wheel 58 is turned in the reverse direction the brake shoe 81 again holds the disk 60 and the screw thread 59 forces the disk 60 down until the teeth thereon engage the teeth of the disk 55. The two disks 55 and 80 have therefore assumed new positions relatively to each other. The disk 60 is provided on its upper surface with a series of marks and figures which indicate, on the proper scale, the inches and fractions thereof which the knees move forward whenever the said disk is clutched, as above described, to the vertical shaft let. An index pointer 65 is adjustably mounted on an extension of the standard 46 and extends therefrom to a point adjacent to the edge of the disk 60. Its position may be adjusted to compensate for the thickness of the saw-kerf, as illustrated.

Now referring to Figs. 11 and 12 also. Both the rocking shafts 80 and 84 are journaled in suitable heads 66 mounted on the standard 6?, near the center of the bed plate 8, and on the standards 47 and 16. 'On the end of the front rocking shaft 80 is mounted the hand lever 81, extending upward there from, and diametrically opposite to the hand lever 31 is mounted the double lever 68. A

pin 69 passes through the double lever 68 and a rod 7 0 passes loosely through a hole in the pin 69 between the parts of the double lever. The rod 70 extends from the front of the machine and is secured to a lever 71 mounted on the rear rocking shaft 34:. The rod 70 is screw threaded on the end and a nut is screwed thereon. Thus whenever the hand lever 31 is pulled toward the rear the double lever 68 pulls on the rod 70 and the lever 71 is correspondingly turned. WVhen the lever 71 is turned the rear rocking shaft 34: is turned too. But'if the hand lever 31 is pushed toward. the frontthe double lever moves toward the rear and the pin 69 carried thereby simply slides over the rod 70 so that the rear rocking shaft is not moved thereby. Another double lever 72 is mounted on the rear rocking shaft 34 and has a similar pin 73 through which a rod 74 passes. This rod 74lis secured at its rear end to the lower end of the automatic throw-off lever 75 and extends through the pin 73 toward the front. A spring 76 is mounted on the rod 7-l between the tubular washer 77 and the nut on the end of the rod. Thus when the rear rocking shaft 34: is turned so that the lever 7 2 moves toward the front it draws forward the lower end of the automatic throw-oil? lever 75 through the medium of the washer 77, spring 76, and rod 74, and if the lower end of the lever 75 is forced toward the rear it pulls on the rod 74, compresses the spring 76 and washer 7 7 and pushes the double lever 72 back to its normal position. The automatic throw-off lever 75 is mounted to the rear of the rear rocking shaft 3-21: in substantially a vertical position, being pivoted by the pin 78 mounted in the boss 79 supported above and to the rear of the head 66 on which it is formed. The upper end of the throw-off lever 7 5 is forked and a link 80 is loosely pinned thereto. This link 80 extends horizontally from the throw-oif lever 75 to a point beside the disk 60 and is supported at its other end by the horizontal lug secured to the extension .of the standard 4:6 so that said link will always be substantially horizontal for all po sitions of the throw-off lever 7 The link 80 is provided with a longitudinal slot 82 formed therein and has a bent extension or nose 83 projecting beyond its end. A hook or lug 84 is secured to the edge of the upper disk 60 on a level with the slot 82 into which it is adapted to enter to engage the end of the link 80. The action of these parts in setting the knees forward a certain definite distance is as follows: While the saw is cutting a slab from the log, the operator turns the hand wheel 58 to the right, in the direction of the hands of a clock, thus raising the disk 60 from the disk 55, until the pin 63 engages the lug 64, then he continues to turn the hand wheel until the figure indicating the desired thickness of the next cut is oppo- 1 site the index pointer 65. Then he turns the hand wheel 58 in the oppositedilicction about one-eighth turn so as to force. the disk 60 on the disk 55 and bring the teeth thereof in engagement with each other. He then waits 7 until the saw has finished its out andthen,

This drives the with the above movement the double lever 1 68 pulls the rod 70 and turns the rear rock ing shaft 84: through the lever 71. For the f first part of the motion of the rear rocking shaft 3st the brake casting 33 is stationary until the teeth 39 on one of the collars 38 engage the teeth 37 on the casting, then as the shaft 34 turns farther the casting 33 turns with it against the action of the spring 35 and loosens the brake band 32 from the drum 20 to allow the shaft 19 to rotate. Also si multaneously the double lever 7 2 on the rear rocking shaft 34- draws the lower end of the throw-off lever 75 forward and therefore the upper end thereof, with the link 80, is drawn toward the rear. Now as the shaft 2 rotates and the knees and the log are moved for ward, the vertical shaft 44: rotates. This in turnrotates the disk 50 so that the index finger 54; will show the changing distance from the face of the knees 4; to the saw-line. Also, since the teeth 56 engage the teeth 62, the disk 60- will turn with the shaft 44. As the disk .60 turns it carries the lug orhook 8a around until it enters the slot'82 in the link 80, and draws the link 80 and the upper end of the throw-off lever 75 forward.

The initial position of the hook 84 will depend on the position to which the disk .60 has been-adjusted at first, but its final position will always be the same. As the throw-off lever 7 5 is drawnforward'by the hook 84L itturns the rear rocking shaft 3a through the rod 7%, spring 7 6 and'lever '72.- This allows the spring and the other collar 38 to again apply the brakeband 32 to the drum 20. Also simultaneously the} front rockingshaft 30 is correspondingly turned through the lever 71, rod 7O and lever 68, thus returning the hand lever 31 to its normal vertlcal position and releasing 1 the friction cup 20 from the rotating disk 17. It will be noted that in this action the brake is fully applied before the action of the other parts is completed, hence there is considerable strain loetweenthe lug 84 which applies the brake and the shaft 44 which ac- V tuates the disk .60 to which the lug 8% is secured. This fact makes it necessary to have the teeth 56 and 62 shapedsubstantially as described so that the hand wheel 58 will be able to separate them again when it is desired to set the disk 60 for another cut. If the knees are to be set forward a distance greater than would be represented by one full turn of the disk 60, then the disk is set for the excess over one turn of the disk and the link' 80 is moved sidewise out of the way of the lug 84ras it passes and then is replaced in position again and acts in the manner above described. Now when it is desired to draw the knees 4- back from the saw-line to receive a new log, or for any other purpose, the hand lever 81 is pushed forward thus rotating only the front rocking shaft 30. The cup 21 is thus forced into contact with the rotating disk 18 to rotate the shaft 19 and the set shaft 2 in the opposite direction and with greater speed than as above described for setting the knees forward. Simultaneously the tooth ll turns till it engages under the tooth 10 on the casting 33, thus turning the casting on the rear rocking shaft 34 against the action of the spring 35 and releasing the brake band 82 from the drum 20. As the shaft 2 rotates it drives the vertical shaft 4-4: and rotates the disks 50 and 60 and the hand wheel 58 in the opposite direction to that above described. This causes the index finger 54 to show an increasing distance from the face of the knees l to the saw-line and also causes the hook 8% to revolve about said shaft 44. As the hook 8st reaches the link 80 it hits the bent nose 83 and forces the link 80 aside to allow the hook to pass.

When the backward motion is stopped the hook 84 may not be in its proper initial position so the hand wheel 58 is turned to raise the disk 60 and the disk is then turned into the position for the first forward feed desired.

It will readily be seen that my set works is very simple to operate and is powerful enough for use with the very heaviest and largest of timber, and that it can be set with great accuracy, in fact in practice to of an inch. Further, the accuracy of this set works is entirely independent of the size and weight of the log on the carriage as are none of the automatic set works of which I have knowledge, they all overset a light log and underset a leavy log. This set works is also very simple in its sctructural features, easily repaired, and has no fine, weak parts to be continually getting out of order; its parts are few, simple and accessible.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a saw mill set works the combina: tion with a bed plate having a set shaft journaled therein; an axially movable central shaft journaled in the bedplate and geared to said set shaft; two oppositely rotating end shafts journaled in the bed plate and prevented from axial motion by thrust bearings at their ends, said shafts being coaxial with said central shaft and at each end thereof; friction couples mounted on adjacent ends of said end and central shafts; friction-couple-controlling means whereby the central shaft is moved axially to bring one of said friction couples into operation whereby the central shaft and set shaft are rotated; a. brake drum mounted on the central shaft; a brake band surrounding said brake drum; brake-band-controlling means whereby the tension of the brake band on the drum is controlled; and means connecting the friction-couple-controlling means with the brake-band-controlling means whereby the brake band is slackened after either of the friction couples are in operation, and whereby the brake band is again tightened before the friction couple ceases to operate.

2. In a saw mill set works the combination with a bed plate having a set shaft journaled therein; a brake adapted to hold the set shaft against rotation; friction driving mechanism whereby the set shaft may be driven; a hand lever whereby said friction driving mechanism is put into operative position to drive the set shaft and whereby the brake is released after the driving mechanism is in action; and automatic means actuated by the rotation of the set shaft whereby the brake is again applied and whereby the friction driving mechanism is released after the brake has been applied.

3. In a saw mill set works the combination with a bed plate having aset shaft journaled therein; a friction driving mechanism whereby the set shaft may be driven; a hand lever whereby the driving mechanism is put into operative position to drive the set shaft; a vertical shaft; spiral gears mounted on the set shaft and vertical shaft whereby the vertical shaft is rotated by the set shaft without back-lash; and means actuated by the vertical shaft whereby the fric tion driving mechanism is released.

4. In a saw mill set works the combination with a bed plate having a set shaft journaled therein; a friction driving mechanism whereby the set shaft may be driven; a hand lever whereby the driving mechanism is put into operative position to drive the set shaft; a vertical shaft; spiral gears mounted on the set shaft and vertical shaft whereby the vertical shaft is rotated by the set shaft without back-lash; a lug connected to said vertical shaft and being rotatively adjustable thereon; and means engaged and actuated by said lug whereby the friction driving mechanism is released.

5. In a saw mill set works controlling mechanism, the combination with a set shaft and vertical shaft driven thereby; of a disk secured to the vertical shaft and having anengage and lit the teeth in the first disk; a

brake shoe engaging said second disk to resist its rotation; limiting lugs secured to the hand wheel and second disk whereby the relative motion thereof is limited and where by the second disk is turned with the hand wheel when its teeth are free from the teeth of the first disk; means adapted to stop the rotation of the set shaft; and means mounted on the second disk and adapted to engage and actuate said stopping means.

6. In a saw mill set works controlling mechanism, the combination of a throw-off lever adapted to stop the rotation of the set shaft; a lug adj ustably mounted in rotative connection with the set shaft; and a link secured to said throw-off lever and normally in the path of rotation of said lug but removable from thesaid path of rotation and adapted to be engagedby said lug to act-uate said throw-off lever to stop the rotation of the set shaft.

7. In a saw mill set works, the combination with a bed plate having a set shaft journaled therein; a friction driving mecha nism whereby the set shaft may be driven;

a hand lever whereby the driving mechanism is put into operative position to drive CHARLES WILLIAM WILLETTE.

v Vitnesses M. F. MQNEIL, B. V. PIEROY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner 'of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

